Dateline Rice for March 5, 2015

FEATURED ITEMS

National Public Radio
A consortium of environmental scientists including Rice’s Pedro Alvarez has expressed strong concern about the impact of a Central American canal across Nicaragua. Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
http://bit.ly/1G1yGVf (This broadcast also aired on KUOW-FM, KNOW-FM, WAMU-FM and KQED-FM.)
Lake Nicaragua: See this massive lake now before it’s changed forever
CNN (Similar articles appeared in CNNMoney, Breitbart and 42 other media outlets.)
http://cnn.it/1Krmt2G
Will Nicaragua’s canal be an eco disaster?
Futurity (This appeared on the home page.)
http://bit.ly/1Fe5iea
International scientists question rush to build Nicaragua canal
National Monitor
http://bit.ly/1CBgDHL
Scientists wary about environmental effects of canal building project in Nicaragua
Tech Times
http://bit.ly/1M8USyW
Hong Kong firm to initiate $50 billion Nicaragua canal project
Geek Infinite
http://bit.ly/1DPDR8v
The proposed transoceanic canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is giving environmentalists fits
Empire State Tribune
http://bit.ly/1GZopKk
Nicaragua could see devastating environmental and social impacts with construction of $50 billion canal
HNGN
http://bit.ly/1ALWKXF
Scientists question rush to build Nicaragua canal
Science Daily
http://bit.ly/1H0noSe
Nicaragua-Kanal: Mehr Risiken als Nutzen
Scinexx.de (An English translation is not available.)
http://bit.ly/1NlakLE

Super hands
Rice engineering students, in collaboration with Shriners Hospital and “Marvel Universe Live!” actors, used 3-D printers to design custom prosthetic hands for kids. Jordan Miller, assistant professor of bioengineering, is quoted. Miller also discussed 3-D Bioprinting at the Midwest RepRap Festival.
Discovery Channel Canada’s “Daily Planet”
http://www.discovery.ca/Video?vid=563971
Rice bioengineers use 3-D printers to give kids a hand
TMC News
http://bit.ly/18lK4Aa
Midwest Reprap Festival, March 20-22
Hackaday.com
http://bit.ly/18UnnEp

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

When things happen that you can’t explain
Jeffrey Kripal, the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, is mentioned for his conference discussion about remarkable experiences in an op-ed about unexplainable supernatural experiences and mysticism.
New York Times
http://nyti.ms/1BU8ZIF

Events celebrating Taiwanese writer Chu Tien-wen to be held in US
A lecture on Taiwanese writer Chu Tien-wen’s works will be held at Rice.
Want China Times
http://bit.ly/1H02XVv

Diary – Top economic events to March 18
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard Fisher will speak on “Reflections on 10 Years at the Fed” for the Founding Director’s Lecture Series at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Reuters
http://reut.rs/1A0Ic7u

When homework is a matter of life and death
Alumna Roxana Daneshjou ’09 authored an op-ed about her freedom to earn her degree in the United States despite the bans on Bahá’ís from studying in Iran.
Iran Press Watch
http://bit.ly/1EQB56Y

HOUSTON/TEXAS

The stigma of being Muslim in America
Ussama Makdisi, the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies and professor of history, authored a blog post about the United States’ negative treatment of Arab and Muslim Americans.
Houston Chronicle
http://bit.ly/1CBNfkB

Doing nothing for roads, transit would cost Houston dearly
Stephen Klineberg, professor of sociology and founding director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and other Houston-based researchers comment on Houston’s regional transportation strategy to either widen freeways or invest in public transit.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1EQouRk

Oil patch won’t flash victory sign for a while
Exxon Mobil Corp. projected continuing low oil prices despite the industry’s hopes for a recovery. Bill Arnold, professor in the practice of management at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, is quoted.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1Bbvqpf

Houstonians depend on federal subsidies to afford ObamaCare plans
A suit that could have massive consequences for people who have become insured through the federal marketplace had a hearing before the Supreme Court yesterday. The court’s ruling could reverberate throughout the country’s health care system, according to Vivian Ho, a health care economist at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Ho is the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and professor of economics.
Houston Chronicle (Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1GZXA8E

Report says incentives make going green easier for commercial landlords
A new report presented at Rice March 4 includes plans on how to save energy in Houston’s commercial sector, which would contribute to more than $500 million in the local economy.
Houston Chronicle (This article appeared on the front of the Business section. Subscription required.)
http://bit.ly/1DPQjoG
http://bit.ly/1KrTgVj

Local students competing in Shell Eco-Marathon Americas with fuel- efficient cars
Rice is competing in the ninth annual Shell Eco-Marathon.
ABC13.com
http://abc13.co/1Fe2ptS

Valley leaders warn of economic losses to border security
The Texas Legislature is likely to add a substantial number of state troopers to the Texas-Mexico border in the near future. Tony Payan, the Baker Institute’s Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the institute’s Mexico Center, is quoted.
WOAI-FM (San Antonio, Texas. This article also appeared in KWHN-AM and KTKR-AM.)
http://bit.ly/1M9dXkm

West U. Democrats meet
Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and fellow in political science at Rice University’s Baker Institute, will speak at the West University Area Democrat Club meeting March 11.
Village News (Page 16)
http://bit.ly/TukJ0i

Liberty County Genealogical Society to meet March 17
Alumnus Robert Scherer ’60 will speak at the Liberty County Genealogical Society monthly meeting March 17.
Liberty County Vindicator
http://bit.ly/1GnSHZB

TRADE/PROFESSIONAL

Is #TheDress white and gold or blue and black? Rice expert on visual perception weighs in
James Pomerantz, professor of psychology, shares his insight on why some people see gold and white when they view a popular photo of a dress that’s blue and black.
Medical Xpress
http://bit.ly/1A13RMG

What is the Pittcon Conference?
Naomi Halas, director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a professor of chemistry, biomedical engineering, physics and astronomy and of materials science and nanoengineering, will speak at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy.
Labmate Online
http://bit.ly/1B7GZz9

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

PubliCalendar: Breaking down LGBT inequities
Michelle Hebl, professor of psychology and management, will speak at the University of Washington March 4.
SeattleMet.com
http://bit.ly/1NluGEG

A Q&A with the Brook’s new director Emily Ballew Neff
Alumna Emily Neff ’90 is interviewed.
Memphis Flyer
http://bit.ly/1DYNZhI

Biz briefcase: March 5, 2015
Alumna Carol Berg ’70 will present “Writing Characters That Live” at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Western Slope workshop.
Grand Junction Sentinel
http://bit.ly/1M9kcor

Wind quintet breezing into High River
WindSync, a quintet formed at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music, will perform at the High River United Church March 8.
Okotoke Western Wheel
http://bit.ly/17VFdFV

SPORTS

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners versus Rice Owls — March 5, 2015 college basketball pick, odds and prediction
Rice men’s basketball will play against the University of Texas at San Antonio today at UTSA Convocation Center in San Antonio.
Sports Chat Place
http://bit.ly/1M9lM9L
Rice (10-18) at Texas-San Antonio (13-14)
The Olympian
http://bit.ly/1B7IsWe

Herd Tennis to play Cincinnati and WVU
Rice women’s tennis will play against Marshall University March 18 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
The Parthenon
http://bit.ly/1Eq3Cjb

Berkman named to college baseball HOF
Former Rice baseball player Lance Berkman was named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
CBS Houston
http://cbsloc.al/17VzuQp
Berkman to be inducted into college Hall of Fame
Astros.MLB.com
http://atmlb.com/1NljZls
Astros legend Lance Berkman inducted into college HOF
Fansided
http://bit.ly/1FelDQ5

Lady Roo Jacen Moore continues strong family basketball legacy
Alumnus Marvin Moore ’94 is featured.
KDH Pressbox
http://bit.ly/1B7tNKu

NEWS RELEASES

Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act tax subsidies could affect millions, Baker Institute expert says
A suit that could have massive consequences for people who have become insured through the federal marketplace got a hearing before the Supreme Court. The court’s ruling could reverberate throughout the country’s health care system, according to Vivian Ho, a health care economist at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
http://bit.ly/1wYppIJ

Rice experts available to discuss crude oil storage space and gas prices
A recent news report warns that the U.S. has so much crude oil that it is running out of places to store it, a development that could drive oil and gas prices even lower in coming months. Rice University energy experts Bill Arnold, Kenneth Medlock and Jim Krane are available to discuss what this means for the U.S energy industry.
http://bit.ly/1NlqVyV